Gifted Connections 4

Megan made some of the best sweet tea I had ever tasted. Her time in the South must’ve had a substantial influence on her drink of choice, not just her food preferences.

“Don’t be too smug,” Gavin said with a smirk. “The simulation will challenge all of us.”

“The South Carolina team will be moving in this weekend, and Ford’s brother will be accompanying them and staying,” Will informed us with a smile towards Gavin. “It would be a good thing for them to experience the new simulations as well.”

Ford was a man that we met when we got to the facility, someone we had all grown to like. Dawn had set her sights on him. Although, I think it had moved from a possible relationship into a friend’s with benefits situation. His father and older brother were part of the council in South Carolina. Ford had lived twenty-four years without being aware that he could fly. He had thought he hadn’t been gifted like his parents and brother.

I hadn’t realized that some gifted individuals had ‘dormant’ gifts. That unless they were forced into specific situations, their gifts might have never manifested. If Ford hadn’t been plunging to his death, he might never have found out that he was able to fly.

“I’m glad to hear that they are finally willing to come visit,” Jace stated.

“Me too,” Megan enthused. “We are hoping the other four communities will follow soon, too.”

Several of the other communities we had been in contact with didn’t realize how important it was to take a stand now. Some of them didn’t think our government would ever go to the drastic measures they were currently proposing. Most of them didn’t realize how big of a threat Horatio had become to our community as a whole, either. They preferred to continue living life in denial.

The Illinois community was the first to join us. Megan and Beth were behind most of our community relations, and they were trying really hard to recruit the others.

Ford and Will had finally been able to convince the South Carolina community to send a small team of twelve up here to us. We knew we still had a long road ahead to convince the others. It was important that we assured them that we needed their help and that they needed ours.

“Do we know where this will fit into our training schedule? It might be good for us to practice on it as well,” Remy stated. “If we don’t get our gifts back anytime soon. I would like to train on it as often as possible.”

“Everyone would be required to participate in the simulations once a week,” Will explained. “The schedule and teams have been made. It will also help us determine who will be ready for what missions.”

“When the simulation room isn’t being utilized during training, everyone would be able to use it at will,” Gavin added. “We have a tech that will be operating the room twenty-four seven.”

“So, when do we begin?” Jace asked clearly excited about the prospect of using the simulation room.

“Monday,” Will answered at some of the crestfallen looks. He quickly added with a laugh, “But Gavin did state that he wants to do a few practice runs when the suits come in.”

“Yes!” some of the men chorused around the table.

“Can we practice with it too?” Kade asked hopefully.

“I think I’m going to leave that up to the boys and Blake,” Will said as he looked at us. “I see no harm in you and Micah jumping into more of our training.”

“What about me?” Alex asked hopefully.

“We’re too young,” Ella said with a dramatic eye roll.

“Am not!” Alex retorted.

“Are too,” Ella said with a deadpan expression.

“I’m sorry, Alex, but the suits won’t fit you,” Gavin said apologetically. At the child’s crestfallen look, he quickly added, “But if it’s okay with Will, Blake, and the guys, maybe I can create some simulations for you that don’t require the suits.”

Alex looked over at us expectantly.

We all nodded.

“Yes!” Alex's fist pumped the air.

We all laughed at his enthusiasm.

“So…?” Micah asked us, looking hopeful.

I looked at the guys and saw the agreement in their eyes. “I think that’s a great idea,” I finally stated.

Micah tried to act more mature in his excitement, but I saw Kade and him exchange a fist bump.